Breeanna Pham

How can we further the research in DID and make the diagnosis for the disorder more universally coherent across different cultures?

Started Oct. 13, 2022

Abstract or project description

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) has two definitions–one that is defined in the DSM-5: the first is being a disorder in which there is “an unintended disruption or discontinuity in the normal integration of one or more of the following elements: identity, sensations, perceptions, affects, thoughts,” and the second being that is defined by culture with the dissociation from self. DID, however, is best “characterized” in its scientific classification and is a disorder that has two significant symptoms, identity confusion and depersonalization. Identity confusion is defined as someone who is confused about who they are and where they are. Depersonalization is an experience in which you don’t feel like you are in your mind or are having an out-of-body experience. More symptoms of DID include identity alteration and amnesia–these symptoms are required for diagnosis. Although these symptoms are widely known amongst psychiatrists, DID is still a widely under-researched topic in the field of psychology. This paper intends to inform why DID should be more widely researched and how this will open the doors to more research in many other conditions in the scope of Dissociative Disorders. In this paper, the methods used are research across the PubMD and Dimensions databases. Through these, most papers regarding the neuroimaging of the brain, the development of DID, and experiences of DID will be pulled out for review. As a result of going through all these papers, I found that most people with DID tend to experience depersonalization and derealization even though they are not technically needed for diagnosing the condition. Furthermore, a huge reason a person might develop DID is due to severe childhood trauma and is, once again, the brain’s coping mechanism. However, when going through the data, I noticed that DID, along with other Dissociative Disorders like depersonalization disorder (DD), is heavily under-researched. In DID, one thing that halts the ability to research the topic is the number of participants willing to participate in the research–this is significantly less as opposed to a disorder like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Another reason for this is because many people with DID were taught to mask their symptoms, so as a result, many people with DID may not know that they even have it due to that factor. In addition, the diagnosis across cultures skews the diagnosis data because some cultures think the symptoms of DID are a point of something religious and calls for things like an exorcism. As a result, people who may or may not have DID will never know if they have it due to the culture they grew up in. To conclude, DID is a heavily under-researched topic that deserves more attention throughout different cultures.